Newsmaker

September 03, 2006

In the News

Godine is vice president and general manager of the Mid-Atlantic operations of General Growth Properties Inc. and is playing a major role in the plan to develop downtown Columbia into a dense, urban center. A focus group studying the future development of Town Center met in Columbia last week, and a final plan is expected to be completed early next year.

Career Highlights

Godine began working for The Rouse Co. in 1961 in retail leasing. In the late 1960s, he was named vice president of the leasing department, and a few years later senior vice president, heading a division responsible for all retail leasing in the company's shopping centers. He left the company in 1979 to form his own development firm, Godine & Stunda. While he confronted cancer and the company faced soaring interest rates, Godine began putting his personal affairs in order and the firm essentially liquidated in 1995. That year he joined Prime Retail Inc., where he remained until retiring in 2003. General Growth persuaded him in March to return to work after Dennis W. Miller announced he would step down as general manager of Columbia.

Personal

Godine, 71, and his wife, Ellen, have been married for 45 years. They met while he was attending the University of Virginia. They had three children. One daughter is deceased. He enjoys golf and traveling but says he became bored in retirement: "You can only play so much golf and read so many books."

Philosophy

"A lot of times developers and architects look at a building and how it's going to shape out, instead of looking at the person who works there, who lives there. Is it a nice place to work? Is it easy to get to? That's what we're doing. ... We've got to make this plan conducive to the nature of man - that's very important."